


I just want to see you happy

by chickens_for_AO3



Series: small town AU [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Barista!Dream, Blood and Gore, Florist!George, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, TattooArtist!Sapnap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25000972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chickens_for_AO3/pseuds/chickens_for_AO3
Summary: Tissues piled up around the apartment, red stained paper spilling out of trash bins he didn't have the strength to empty. Petals littered the floor, white and blue fading into brown.It'd be worth it to wait, he thought. He couldn't let go of their friendship just yet.The blooms told him differently, clawing their way up his throat with every cough.Retail AU, ft Florist!George, Barista!Dream, and TattooArtist!Sapnap.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/Georgenotfound (Video Blogging RPF)/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Dreamnotnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: small town AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809919
Comments: 20
Kudos: 651
Collections: Completed stories I've read, you've read this fucker :]





	I just want to see you happy

**Author's Note:**

> TW: BLOOD

The air was cool and clear. The moon sat, hanging in the sky like a giant silver coin. 

Dream sucked in a breath, throwing the rag he had been using under the counter. 

Something tickled at his throat, making him cough in surprise. He glanced around, checking for evidence. 

How’d pollen get in his cafe?

It had been a long week, from the misordering of supplies to the difficult customers. Moonlight Cafe was a busy place, the clean, rustic look attracting college students and Karens alike. 

Dream’s hands were sore from the long hours baking bread and pastries for his shop, but he continued to clean. 

The feeling returned, forcing him to cough again. He sighed in frustration, leaving a mental note to refill his allergy medication next week. 

It didn’t stop, however. The tickle grew into a scratch, forcing its way up his throat with each wheeze.

"W-what the fuck?" Dream struggled to breathe, inhaling making the feeling worse.

Something triggered his gag reflex, and he staggered over to the sink, retching. He forced it out, the object landing in the metal basin with a dull thunk. 

"What the fuck?" Dream asked in horror, staring down at the two flower petals.

Had he eaten one of the rose tarts? Did someone mix up his drink with rose tea? His mind spun frantically, staring down at the petals. 

He stepped back, chugging down a cup of water to get rid of the taste. 

Was this George's idea of a prank? Tricking him into eating flowers?

He examined them again. The two petals were pretty well preserved, and surprisingly clean. One was a light blue, the other black and white. 

Dream shuddered, tossing both in the trash. He'd have to ask George about his definition of a joke.

Unfortunately, the petals continued to show. Over the course of the next couple weeks, he was regularly hacking out a lung trying to get rid of the petals.

They always came in twos, he noticed. One blue, one black-and-white. And more recently, specked with red. They increased in number every week. 

He was sitting with Sapnap for lunch, a rare occasion considering their schedules, when he began to cough. His voice was rough, sore after the several petals he spat out yesterday. 

"You got a cold or something?" Sapnap looked at him concernedly, tugging at his pierced ear. 

"Nah," The tickle returned at the base of his lungs. "It's just allergies, I think." 

He eyed Dream warily, noticing how his friend’s chest tensed in an effort to suppress another cough. "Sure."

"What? You remember that time I almost threw up a lung in George's back room? I must've gotten pollen on my apron or something."

"You didn’t have to mention that," he complained, setting down his fork. 

"Really?" He suddenly coughed in Sapnap's face, caught off guard by the horrible feeling again. 

"Dude! I don't want your disease!" Sapnap quickly stood, wiping off his face.

Dream continued to cough for a second, pausing to scratch out a 'sorry'.

"It's alright, my lunch break is pretty much over." He gathered up the remains of his food, tossing it in the trash. "Get better soon, stupid."

Sapnap thumped Dream on the back solidly, turning to walk out the door.

As soon as his friend left, Dream raced to the bathroom, expelling several petals. He gasped for air, surprised at how difficult it had become.

After several long, painful minutes, it was easier, his frantic breathing slowing.

Grabbing his phone out of his pocket, Dream began to search for answers. 

His eyes fell on an older article. Hanahaki disease? He'd heard of the rare condition, occasionally showing up in tabloids when a celebrity caught it. Flicking through several articles, his scowl darkened the longer he read.

Caused by unrequited love, the only solution was confession… or death. 

There was nothing on having two types of petals, though. Or what to do if you weren't in love with anybody.

He tapped on the glass of George's shop after work, catching the older man's attention.

George waved, setting down the rose he was trimming and walking outside. 

"What's up?" George asked, shoving his goggles further up his nose. 

Dream knew he needed them for work, being colorblind and all, but that didn't mean Sapnap and him ever stopped making fun of them. What kind of 16-year-old thinks clout enchroma goggles is a good idea? 

"Can I borrow your flower book?" Dream scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

The florist looks at him, suspicious. "Why? You're allergic to all of them."

"I...wanted to try out new recipes? Rose petals work nice in pastries and stuff."

"Alright," He said, ducking back inside. 

Dream collapsed against the door, ribs aching with how hard he's coughing. It’s late, but his body refuses to quit. 

The toilet is flecked with blood by the time he can take another strained breath, and Dream's staring down at more petals than he thought he could possibly cough out.

He can't lie to himself, looking down at the beautiful colors. They'd look nice together in a bouquet or something. 

Maybe he should be the florist.

The table in front of him is littered with blood stained tissues, bits of leaves and roots sticking out of some. The book George gave him is heavy, organizing plants and flowers by name.

Dream settles down for a long night of reading, book in his lap and tissues by his side.

Bellflowers and anemones. Affection and anticipation. Also, apparently death and forsaken love.

They're pretty flowers, he thinks, as he hacks up petal after petal.

It becomes a regular occurrence, Dream waking up each morning his throat full of leaves and petals.

He knows George and Sapnap are getting more and more concerned by the day, shooting him looks as he hides red stains in fabric. But things don't begin to get unmanageable until early Spring, several weeks after the first two petals.

Dream's uncomfortably used to the feeling of swallowing back leaves, blood rinsing down the drain after he wakes up wheezing for air.

His friends challenge him to a race, up and down the block. 

Basic tasks are getting harder each week. He wants to get back to his healthy days- throwing around giant bags of flour and being able to sweep George up fireman's carry.

"3...2...1!" Sapnap crows, watching as the other two dash down the street. He'd noticed Dream's changing about a month ago, his wrists suddenly way too bony in Sapnap's hands. 

And his coughs… the man was regularly trying to shove his lung up his throat. Dream would wave them off when they asked, but he and George couldn't ignore the growing number of bloody towels that kept showing up wherever Dream was.

He almost ignored the blonde boy's shaking when they returned, lungs heaving. He was clawing for breath, desperation obvious on his face. 

"Dream?" George panted. "You good?"

He said nothing, instead nodding in response. 

"Let's go get you guys some water," They walked back to Moonlight Cafe together, Sapnap paying attention to Dream's little stumbles. 

He noticed how he quiet he tried to make his breathing, how little air he seemed to take in each breath 

He noticed how the second Dream unlocked the door, he ran to the bathroom.

He noticed the horrible coughing echoing around the space.

George stared at Sapnap, cup of water in hand. 

"What the fuck?" The florist asks, setting it down on the counter. 

"He's trying to hide….whatever this is," Sapnap gestures towards the bathroom. "He's much slower than usual, too."

"I'm surprised I almost won! He started slowing down halfway through."

He hummed thoughtfully. "We gotta ask him. This obviously isn't healthy, and he's overworking himself."

Dream tumbled from the bathroom, straightening up with a smile. 

George pretended not to notice him wiping the blood from his mouth. "Get some water, dumbass."

"Hey! I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't think we didn't hear you wheezing," Sapnap chimes, pushing a cup at him. "Have you seen a doctor?"

Dream glances at him, sipping at the water. "A doctor? Why?"

"Uh, your cough? It sounds really bad."

He scoffed, turning away. "I'm fine, Sap. So I have allergies. I'll live!"

"They don't sound like allergies, Dream." George shoots him a look. "You need to get help."

"What is this, an AA meeting? I am perfectly okay, for your information." Dream's chest tightens, and he can feel the petals at the base of his esophagus. They feel much worse than normal. 

"Dream…" Sapnap grabs his wrist. "Seriously."

"I am being serious," he snaps back, yanking his hand out of the other man's grip. "And I'm telling you it's nothing."

He's struggling to breathe past the flowers, instead grabbing the back of each of his friends' shirts. "Go home and get some rest, you two. You’re obviously delusional"

They protest, but Dream hasn't lost all his strength. He shoves them out the door, intent on getting them out before the urge to cough gets worse. 

"Dream!" George yells, turning around. "You can’t just act like nothing's wrong!"

He closes the door, turning around. "Nothing is wrong, George."

Dream doesn't look at their faces, stilling his breaths so the blossoms don't move any further. 

The minute he's sure they're gone, he races over to the sink, trying to block out the sharp pain in his lungs. He chokes out the flowers, tears streaming from his eyes. They sit together, leaves and petals damp with spit and blood. 

The plant was getting bigger, he can’t help but notice. He can taste greenery in his mouth, mixing with the last of the blood as he coughs out the residual foliage. 

It gets more frequent in the next week. He has to spend several minutes coughing over a sink or toilet, before George or Sapnap meet him, just so he can talk for more than an hour. Dream has to force himself to eat, mouth and throat cut from forcing the flowers out.

They're sitting together in his apartment, for movie night. Dream, the space heater out of the three, is stuck between his two friends. 

He squirms, trying to get further under the blanket George keeps stealing.

"Hey! I get the blanket, you produce the heat," he reminds Dream. "Sap gets nothing."

"Dude!" Sapnap squawks, as the blanket is yanked off of him. "Dream, tell him to stop before I kick him out."

"Stop fighting or I'm moving to the floor. And we have more blankets, you know."

They settle down, the movie flickering by. George nods off halfway through, Sapnap yawning hugely the rest of the movie.

Dream's warmer than he's been in a months, even if his shoulder's getting sore from George's weight. 

He doesn't notice when the movie ends, all three of them fast asleep.

\----

Dream startles awake. His arm is pinned to his side by Sapnap, who’s hugging him around his waist, George’s head resting on his chest.

He's suddenly blushing. Dream shakes his head, shoving the feeling down before anyone else wakes up. The urge to suddenly cough overwhelms him, and he's barely able to tug his arm out of Sapnap's grip to cover his mouth. 

His palm is slick with blood, trying to block the blossoms and leaves as they arrive. He holds them crumpled in his hand, quickly standing up to throw them away.

George, half awake, finds himself falling towards Sapnap. He yelps, cold air rushing into Dream's vacant spot. 

Sapnap immediately latches onto George, tugging him into an awkward hug. At least for him it's awkward, as Sapnap has fallen asleep again.

"Dream? You okay?" He mumbles, shaking off his friend. George fumbles towards his glasses, sliding them on. 

Dream flinches as George gasps, knowing he’s seen the red on his hands. 

"Is that blood?!" George bolts off the couch, leaving Sapnap to flop behind him. “What the fuck, Dream?” 

He shoves the flowers into the trash behind him, backing away. “I dropped a cup and cut my hand with the glass?”

“What were you doing? You were just asleep, how’d you manage to break a glass?” 

“I’m just clumsy like that,” He reassures. “It’s fine, I swear. It’s a tiny cut.”

Sapnap sits up from the couch, eyes closed. “Whasgoinon?” 

“Dream cut his hand on some glass,” George says, reaching in and throwing a box of bandaids from the cupboard at him. 

He shrugs, washing the blood off his hand. His lungs feel horribly sore, and he can feel the vines continuing to creep up his airway. 

“What’d you guys want to do today?” Dream asks, ignoring the bandaids. 

“Sleep,” Sapnap mumbles, rubbing his eyes. 

“We could go look for rocks.” George throws some bread in the toaster, turning to throw the fridge open. 

“Rocks?” the taller man asks incredulously. “Why do you want rocks?” 

“My shop needs more decoration! I don’t recall me judging you buying those old-timey books from Bad’s store for your cafe.”

“Those are books! Not overly-expensive rocks!”  
“Shut up!” Sapnap throws a pillow at George. “You guys are so loud…”

Dream steps in front of him, catching it. “What’s up with you today?” He pats the top of Sapnap’s hair. “And how’d your hair get so fluffy while we were sleeping?” 

“Stop!” Sapnap swats his hand away, blinking. “It just does that.”

“Whatever!” George says, snatching his phone off the counter. “Let’s just get going,”

They end up heading to an antique shop downtown, glittering with common crystals and stones.

"You sure?" Dream asks, staring down at the collection of quartz on the glass table. 

"Yeah! They go with like, half the summer flowers we have in the shop." George picks up a large pinkish geode, turning it into the light.

Sapnap walks over from the cashier, shoving two stones at each of them. 

"What're these?" Dream asks, peering at the objects.

"They're rocks." He mutters back, looking away.

Dream looked down, turning the two stones in his hands. One was black and white, the other turquoise blue.

"What'd you get?" He slammed his shoulder into George's, looking down at his rocks. Instead of blue, one of his was light green.

"Aventurine," Sapnap said, poking at the green crystal. "Herkimer diamond," the black and white, "and turquoise." At the blue. 

"Diamond? You bought us diamonds?" George asked loudly, earning them a glare from the cashier.

"No, you idiot. They were like 5 dollars total." He held out his own, the aventurine and turquoise.

"Aww, Sap! You didn't have to buy us rocks!" Dream held them up to his face, wiping a fake tear away. "Me and Georgie love them very much."

"Shut up, Dream. Help me find more of these pink crystals." George shoved the rocks into his pocket, pointedly turning around.

Sapnap didn’t miss George continuing to roll them around in his hands, long after that. 

It took them another hour to buy all of the crystals George needed.

"Geoooorge," Dream groaned, arms laden with heavy boxes. "These are heavyyy."

"What happened to Mr. 'I throw around bags of flour'?" George said, also holding one of the boxes. 

"You're carrying like five pounds right now. These are boxes that weigh, like, 20 pounds!"

"Quiet. Sap's not carrying anything and you're not complaining."

"Hey! I am carrying a lot of love in these burly arms." Sapnap retorted, holding up his hands in a heart. 

They dropped off the boxes at George's, Dream avoiding entering. His chest already hurt from restraining coughs, and he didn't want to start sneezing leaves or something.

Sapnap's apartment was warm, despite the weather cooling down. Dream let the two boys enter, hanging back.

"I forgot my spare phone charger at the cafe, I'll be right back," He assured. 

He practically choked on the flowers when he arrived, the full blooms coming up with more than a little blood. Dream stared in the mirror, surprised at how different he looked.

It was terrifying, looking at how hollow his cheeks had become, touching the dark shadows under his eyes. He was paler than usual, and definitely thinner. Dream tried to grin, his blood stained teeth making him look even more like a psycho.

He shook himself, tossing the flowers and swishing water around in his mouth. 

"Back so soon?" Sapnap asked him as he reentered the apartment. George threw some pillows on the floor, in the middle of the living room.

"What're you guys doing?" Dream tilted his head.

"Sleepover, Obviously." George flopped down on the pile of blankets. "You look like a Minecraft dog with your head turned like that."

"He does!" Sapnap agreed, sitting down cross-legged next to George. "Did you get your charger?" 

"Nah, I must've left it at home with Patches."

"Oh yeah, George, is your cat gonna be okay for the night?" 

"Yeah," it was muffled from the pillow George stuck his face in. "I'll have to go over early tomorrow, but I refilled his food and water yesterday, so he should be good."

Sapnap grabbed Dream's arm, tugging him down onto the floor. 

It didn't take Dream long to fall asleep, his small snores sounding painful to the other two.

"He smells like blood, George." Sapnap whispered, peering over at him through the dark. 

"We don't know what it is! It's not like we can force him to say anything to the doctor."

"He's coughing up blood! And he's obviously losing weight."

"He'll tell us when he's ready. And besides, maybe he's already gone to a doctor?" George yawned hugely, burrowing under the blankets.

Sapnap stared down at Dream, listening to the occasional hitch in his breath. "Maybe."

\----

Dream's looking for new info days later, but it's more of the same. Death or confession.

"Hanahaki disease, huh?" One of the newer employees asks, having caught a glance of his phone screen.

"Yeah," he chuckles, wincing at how rough it sounded. "Just curious, y'know?"

"Yep. It's pretty interesting, with the whole surgery thing."

"What?" He stares at her, trying to glance at her name tag. "Surgery?"

"Well, yeah. If they can't confess, surgery or death. I've heard you lose like, the ability to love."

"Weird. Does it destroy your brain or something?"

"I have no idea," She says. "Do we have any paper towels in the back?"

He's used to it by now, but it doesn't make it any easier. 

Dream never thought he'd be vomiting up flowers, much less for someone he didn't know he was in love with, but they arrived every day speckled with red.

He still forces himself to go to work, waking up at 5am, just to prep and bake the pastries needed for the cafe. He still forced himself to smile at his friends, shoving off their worried glances. He still forced himself to eat, even if the vines were growing thicker every day, and every bite tasted metallic, scraping his throat as it sent down.

Dream knew this was unsustainable. His lungs could only take so much, and he still didn't know who he had to confess to.

It was dark, the TV filling the room with soft static. He spat another two flowers into the sink, collapsing on his bed without cleaning up. He'd have to clean another mess up in the morning, what'd it matter?

When George and Sapnap snuck in, he was completely dead to the world for once. Being a light sleeper, that was a rare occurrence.

"What are we doing here again?" George asks, forgetting to lower his voice. Patches walked into the room, greeting them with a meow.

"Shh! Don't blow our cover, Patches!" Sapnap whispers, bending down the pet the cat. "We're looking for clues."

"Clues?"

"That he's been to the doctor or something! Or at very least blackmail."

They walk around the apartment, flipping the lights on and off as they go. 

"Sap?" He hears George call from the kitchen. "I, uh, found something."

"Really? All I've found are these bloody tissues everywhere." He walks into the room, glancing around. "What'd you see?"

George points down at the sink, eyes wide.

"Are those flowers?!" Sapnap almost shouts.

"Yes. They're also covered in blood." George is noticeably pale, eyes struggling to identify the shapes under the red coating.

"What does this mean? Did he kill someone?"

"No! Those are bellflowers and anemones, I think." He almost reaches towards one, stopping himself at the last second. "They're very fresh."

"Okay, they may be pretty, but they're still covered in blood." He pushes George back gently. "How'd they get here?"

"I don't know. There's his cough…" he trails off, then slowly meets Sapnap's eyes.

"What?"

"You don't think…Hanahaki?"

Sapnap takes a step back, mind flying. How long did he have it? Who did he have to confess to? Why were the flowers different? Why were there two?

George grabs his shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Sap! Calm down. He's sleeping right now, so we know he's okay."

"But how long does he have left to confess? And to who?"

The shorter man is silent, trying to process the situation. "We'll have to ask him."

"Yeah, ask him why it's taken him so damn long to confess!" He doesn't notice he's shouting, forcing his voice quieter when Patches suddenly bolts from the room. 

George looks afraid. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Of course," Sapnap's voice softens, and he guides George further into the living room. "He has to be."

Dream walked out of his room that morning, almost missing them tangled together on the couch. He snaps a picture, stifling his (for the first time in a while) happy wheezes. 

He hopes they can't hear his chokes, the blood flowing from his mouth like water minutes later. It’s odd to think about his friends while coughing up flowers, but he does it anyways. 

Things don't seem to want to go his way, like usual.

"Dream?" George asks, knocking on the bathroom door.

Swallowing down the rest of the flowers, he croaks a "Yes?" Before letting out a couple of small coughs.

"Are you okay? I can hear you coughing." He sounds worried.

"Yes! I'll be out in a sec." 

Turns out a 'sec' is around five minutes, Dream attempting to force the blooms out without much noise.

Sapnap sits up from the couch when he exits, walking over to throw his arms around him.

"What's up? When'd you guys get here?" At least his friend is warm. He used to be a furnace, constantly radiating heat, but now he's just shivering.

George scrunches his eyes shut for a second, struggling to speak. "I- We know, Dream."

"Know what? That I'm the best friend ever?"

He points to the sink, where the two flowers sit. They're colored brown with dried blood, but the blue and white stick out clearly.

"Oh," How did Dream forget to clean that up? More importantly, how did he forget that both of them had a key to his apartment?

"Yeah, 'oh'. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I thought it could cure it by myself?" 

"This...this is the last stage, Dream. Entire flowers? How long has this been going on for?"

"About two months. But don't worry! I'll get the surgery if it gets bad."

"Two months?!" George shrieks, "Dream, the surgery is final! You'll never be able to love again!"

"I don't want to die, either. And I'll still be here, don't worry!" He notices Sapnap's arms tightening, and hugs him back.

"You realize what 'never love again' means, right?"

"Yeah, I won't be in a relationship again. That's not awful! I'll have you guys!" 

George pinches the bridge of his nose. "That means love in general, Dream. Like romantic? Platonic? All gone. You won't be able to have friends anymore!"

"I'm sure it's just romantic," Dream frowns. 

"You worked on Moonlight for years! Your love for creating things, for Patches, for every customer that comes in, for every stupid flower you're allergic to!" George's eyes are bright with tears. "We can't let you do this."

He's shocked, at the realization, at the strength of his friend's reactions, at himself. 

"I can't die, either." 

He lets go of Sapnap with one arm, lifting George's jaw gently. "I'll find them."

The shorter man blushes, but doesn't move his eyes away from Dream’s face. "Who?"

"Whoever it is I'm in love with. And confess, for you and Sapnap."

"Don't they have to love you back?" Sapnap's voice is muffled, pressed against Dream.

"Whatever it takes. I can't just leave Patches here!"

George joins the hug a second later, trying to hold both Sapnap and Dream.

"It'll be okay, guys." 

Things continued as normal as possible, but Dream had no idea where to start looking for the person. He decided to start small.

"Bad!" He shouted, bounding into the bookstore. "I have news!"

Bad looked up from the bookmarks he was sorting. "What? How's your cough?"

Dream slowed, coming to a stop in front of the counter. "My cough?"

"Yeah. You guys came in here like, two week ago and your voice sounded terrible."

"Oh." He stilled for a moment. "I have Hanahaki."

"What!?" Bad ran around the shelf, grabbing Dream's shoulders. "You got Hanahaki? Who is it?"

"I don't know." He answered quietly. 

"You don't know? How'd you get it?" He asked incredulously.

"It started two months ago-"

"Two months! You don't have very long! Why are you here?"

"I don't know, okay? I have to find this person before I die, because I can't leave George or Sapnap or you with a horrible version of myself," he spoke quickly, trying to get it all out before the flowers returned. "But I don't want to find them because I'm not in love but we both need to be in love for me to be cured-"

"Whoa, slow down, Dream. You're not in love?"

"No. I'm not in love with anyone, I think."

Bad squinted at him, looking for a lie. "How'd you get Hanahaki, then?"

"I don't know!" He groaned, yanking his sweater collar over his face. "It just started after work one day, and hasn't gone away."

"What'd George and Sapnap say?"

"They want me to go through my phone contacts."

Bad sighed. "Doesn't sound like a terrible idea."

"I'm not in love with anyone!"

"Get out of here! Go find the love of your life!" He suddenly brightened, shoving Dream out the door. "I call Patches if you fail!"

"Hey! I'm not gonna fail!" Dream grinned.

"Then go!"

He took off down the street, skidding to a stop in front of his cafe. He had to find them, for George and Sapnap.

It had only been two days, and Dream was already exhausted. His friends began to leave little gifts everywhere, though. Packages of tissues, tiny jars of honey, cough drops. 

He threw a bucket at Sapnap one day, as he walked into Dream's shop. 

"Hey! What was that for?" 

"A bucket? Why the hell would you leave me a bucket?"

Sapnap rested his face against the cool glass display, peering at the unsold pastries. "How'd you know it was me?"

Dream rolled his eyes, swatting him away from the once clean surface. "Who else is stupid enough to give me a bucket?"

"It's just in case! What if you've gotta hack up a flower and the bathroom's closed?"

"Sink."

"That's disgusting. You wash dishes in the sink, and you're throwing up blood into it?"

He winced, feeling the stems in his lungs twist slightly. "Well that won't be a problem for much longer,"

Sapnap gasped, grabbing his face. He tugged it down to his own height, staring into Dream's eyes hopefully. "Did you find them?"

"No," he took Sapnap's hands off, but continued to hold them. "But I scheduled the surgery just in case."

The cafe was silent for a moment. 

"Sap?" His friend was frozen.

"I'm fine. You better find them, though. I can't take Patches."

Dream smiled tightly. "I will."

He knew he wouldn't.

The pain in his lungs got worse by the hour, breathing becoming a constant chore.

He could only drink water, his sense of taste and throat cut. The air tasted metallic to him, when he yawned or gasped.

The day Dream threw up a whole plant, he knew it was going to be close. The flowers were easy, the blue, black and white petals soft. A snarl of stem twisted out, tangled with the other plant. It was easily half an inch thick, a knot of vines and leaves. 

Neither Sapnap or George were there when he collapsed on the floor, choking for breath as the plants ripped through something else inside him, passing out for several hours. It hurt like hell to see them, but he did it anyway.

They were so worried. He saw their little looks, the surprise when they tried to hold his bony, cold hands. The almost-tears in George's eyes when he heard Dream in pain, the hugs Sapnap began giving every time he saw his friend. 

He tried to look for who caused it, but moving was getting harder. Dream was barely able to work anymore, unable to stop the coughing long enough for it to be sanitary.

"Dream?" He heard a knock on the door, jolting him out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

"Yeah," it was a whisper, barely able to get the words out through the plant twisting further up his throat. "I'm here."

Sapnap walked in, carrying a couple containers. "I've got food for you."

"Not hungry," Dream mumbled, spitting blood into a paper towel. "I'm just tired."

"Look, man, you've gotta eat. How're you going to keep fighting on an empty stomach?"

It took him the better part of an hour, but he was able to eat a little bit. It definitely hurt, but he was able to hold down the flowers for a while.

"How're you doing?" Sapnap asked, resting his hand on Dream's shoulder.

"As good as I can be with a plant growing in my lungs," Dream chuckled. He caught Sapnap's hopeful smile, continuing. "I think I'm getting closer to finding them."

"How much longer until the surgery?"

"About a week. Any more and the risk of death is too high, apparently."

Sapnap shivered at the mention, his expression closing off once again. 

"Hey. I told you it would be okay, okay?" He gathered his friend close, resting his chin on top of Sap's hair. "We'll get through this. I won't turn into a robot."

"Promise?" He asked.

"Promise."

It took a couple hours, but Dream eventually fell asleep on the couch. Sapnap stood, throwing a blanket over him. 

He texted George, who arrived several minutes later, blinking in the bright light of the apartment.

"What's happening?" 

"Did you find anything about the flowers?" Sapnap prompted. 

"No. There's nothing about having two different kinds, either." George pulled the rocks from his pocket, rolling them around in his hand. 

"Why's Hanahaki gotta be so complicated?" Sapnap asked, throwing his hands up in the air. 

He shushed him. "How long's he got left?" George nodded towards Dream's sleeping form.

"He said about a week until the surgery."

George gasped, gripping the stones. "A week?"

"Yeah," Sapnap said heavily, hanging his head. "What're we going to do?"

"I don't know. The only thing we really can do is be there for him."

\----

He couldn't speak anymore, barely able to croak out a sound past the leaves in this throat. They were creeping into his mouth now, hiding under his tongue and winding around his teeth.

The breaths he was able to suck in were shallow, and sleeping for longer than an hour was impossible. He couldn't eat, but his friends tried to keep him hydrated. 

He looked like a skeleton in the mirror, bruised eye sockets and thin cheekbones sticking out in the pale white light. It was a fitting comparison, Dream thought. His bones ached, showing through his paper thin skin. 

Dream was almost glad it was over. He hated to see George and Sapnap cry, their red eyes following the heaving of his chest as he threw up the blossoms. It hurt, to see his own pain in their eyes. 

He wanted them to be happy again. They deserved better than to take care of a friend who couldn’t love them back, who would be a burden for the rest of his days. Dream loved them, more than his own life. 

He knew who the flowers were for. 

They had one last day together, before his surgery. 

Dream forced himself to laugh through the pain, brightening when he saw his friends begin to open up again. He pushed himself, swallowing down the flowers that pushed their way out, refusing to wait for him to cough. He chained them down behind his teeth, grin like steel. 

George was amazed, looking at how different his friend had become. Dream looked healthier than he had in weeks, smiling and laughing along with the conversation. It was a relief, after the days of worrying. 

“You okay, George?” Dream asked him. His voice was still very rough, but it was louder than any of the past days. They had brought food over, but he still wasn’t able to eat.

“Yeah. I’m just glad to see you so happy, for once.”

“Aww! Dream, I didn’t know George was such a simp,” Sapnap said, his mouth full of food. 

George shoved at him, almost knocking over his own plate. “Don’t speak with your mouth full, idiot, no wonder Dream doesn’t want to eat.” 

“I’m just speaking the truth, man.”

“I’ll be so glad when this is finally over,” Dream sighed, sipping at a cup of water. “I want to be able to eat food again!” 

“See, George! I can eat and talk all I want and Dream still wants food.” Sapnap said triumphantly. 

“You’re still an idiot.” George threw a napkin at him. 

Dream glanced between the two of them, the relief evident in their eyes. 

He wished it could last forever. 

They walked to the park together, supporting Dream on each side. It was a cool night, thankfully clear. The concrete was easy to navigate, Sapnap keeping an eye out for any difficult spots. 

“Georgie!” Dream whispered, noticing the way his friend’s hand tightened. 

“Don’t call me that! And it’s for support, we know you can’t stand up with those weak bones of yours.”

“Is Georgie too shy to admit he’s holding hands with Dream?” Sapnap laughed.

George blushed, ducking his head. “Shut up, Sap. You’re holding his hand too.”

“A nickname?!” 

“Dream’s called you that like, literally hundreds of times and you’re going after me for it?” 

“Yep.” Sapnap swung his hand back and forth. Dream almost asked him to stop, the pain in his shoulder worsening, but the words died in his mouth as he saw the grin Sapnap wore, finally real. 

“You guys better stop before I let both of your hands go,” Dream wobbled, the other two panicked, practically forcing him to sit on one of the benches. 

“Don’t do that, Dream!” George wrung his hands, turning around to smack Sapnap. “Look what you did!”

“What I did? You’re just as bad!” He argued back.

Dream laughed along with them, his body putting on a last burst of strength. He could’ve walked back to his apartment alone, but they insisted on ‘supporting’ him.

Sapnap turned, engulfing him in a hug. They had stopped right in front of his door, the frail, white light washing out the colors. 

George joined the hug, burying his face in his friend’s shoulder. “You’ll be okay without us?” 

“Of course. It’s only a couple hours until the surgery.”

They left together, Dream smiling at them as he unlocked the door. 

The street was cold, without the tall man’s presence.

It hurt to think about a life without love. A life without passion, without creativity, without beauty. 

Dream wasn’t going to be the same when he came back. 

Sapnap turned to George, pulling him into a hug. 

“We did everything we could.”

“Did we?” George choked out, eyes flooded with tears. “How did we let this happen?” 

“There was nothing we could do,” He was crying now, too. “We tried everything.”

“I miss him.”

It hurt to agree. 

“He’ll be back, George. Maybe nothing will change.”

“I can’t do this, Sap. I can’t hope.”

“You have to. We have to be there for him.”

The moonlight was soft, tears sparkling on their faces as George pulled away. 

“Okay.” 

“Any last words, before we head home?” Sapnap asked gently. 

“Love you,” He whispered. 

Sapnap gasped, his mind flying. 

“What? Are you gonna make fun of me for saying that now, too?” 

“No! George, it’s us! Dream loves us!” 

George took off at a sprint, jumping the stairs two at a time. They had to get to Dream.

He was crumpled against the wall, blood leaking from his mouth. Dream tried to smile. He wanted to see them happy again, wanted them to be in love, with or without him. 

“Sapnap! Call 911!” George stared at his friend, eyes searching for anything. “Dream? Please, wake up,” 

His eyes fluttered open. Dream coughed, petals and blood dripping from his mouth. “Love you, Georgie.” He sucked in a breath, giggling, searching for any reflection of happiness on his friends' faces. Reaching up, he grasped Sapnap’s hand, willing him to smile. “And you, Sap.”

Lung rattling coughs shook his frame, the last of his energy giving out. 

He felt George shaking him. He heard Sapnap screaming his name, phone dropping out of trembling hands as he knelt next to his friend. 

“We love you, Dream.” He heard George mumble, pressing a pair of blood-stained flowers to his chest, petals fluttering off each bloom. 

Dream dragged a breath in, drifting into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked the fic, leave a comment or kudos! :)
> 
> I have a Tumblr at chickens-for-minecraft, come say hi!


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